The present invention relates to a solar ray collecting device which is capable of collecting solar rays by means of a large number of solar ray collecting elements.
The present applicant has previously proposed a solar ray collecting device comprising a cylindrical base body, a supporting rod (a revolving shaft), a convex-shaped transparent dome secured to the base plate, a solar ray collecting element constructed integrally with the lens, whereto, at the center of its lower portion, the input end of the light-guiding cable is attached, a solar position sensor for detecting the sun's location, the solar ray collecting elements mounted on a mounting plate which is supported by the base plate, the base plate supported by the base body through a revolving shaft, a supporting arm for rotatably supporting said revolving shaft and a supporting rod for rotating said supporting arm about an axis intersecting that of said revolving shaft at a right angle, and the solar position sensor detecting the sun's location and acting to control the first and second revolving shafts so as to always direct the lens toward the sun.
In the above-mentioned prior art, the design where the base plate is rotatably supported by the supporting arm makes it difficult to manufacture a more compact and more powerful solar ray collecting device having a large number of solar ray collecting elements because of the lack of durability of the supporting arm. Furthermore, the positioning of the solar ray collecting elements in front of the revolving shaft (when viewed from the direction of the sun) produces a lop-sided load in the supporting system consisting of the revolving shaft, the supporting arm and the supporting rod.